Welcome to bbc news. This might have been the day when theresa may and the eu could signal that there was enough progress in brexit talks to start moving on to the next stage. But it wasnt to be. The main obstacle is what to do about the border between Northern Ireland and the republic. Earlier today, it seemed the issue of the border had been resolved. But the dup in belfast objected to any suggestion that Northern Ireland could be treated differently to the rest of the uk. Irelands Prime Minister accused theresa may of backing away from an agreement. Our Political EditorLaura Kuenssberg is in brussels and sent this report. Here to reveal the deal, or was it slipping away . The Prime Minister didnt exactly look delighted, but after weeks of trying to grip a deal, it seemed it was on. Shed only parked up for lunch, but it turned into a long lunch, and then later and later. By tea time, look at their faces. It was off for today. We have been negotiating hard and a lot of progress has been made, and on many of the issues there is a common understanding. Its clear, crucially, that we want to move forward together, but on a couple of issues, some differences do remain, which require further negotiation and consultation. And those will continue, but we will reconvene before the end of the week, and i am also confident that we will conclude this positively. It didnt feel very positive this afternoon. Despite our best efforts and significant progress, we and our teams have made over the past days on this, there remain withdrawal issues. It was not possible to reach complete agreement today. But listen to this eager meps this morning. Saying, were the team. Sure ish that the uk government would give enough to make it work, even despite whats been described as a contradiction over the irish border. As long as we have the commitment that there will be full alignment, its ok, there will be no border. So, as far as youre concerned, sir, the text includes a concession from the British Government over the Northern Irish border . Right, but is that a surprise to you . The British Government created for itself a contradiction. Im optimistic that it is possible. 50 50 to have something. But we have to be sure that on citizens rights, everything is ok. But watch this. As suggestions of a deal became the accepted truth, the dup, whose support theresa may needs, slammed on the brakes. We have been very clear. Northern ireland must leave the European Union on the same terms as the rest of the United Kingdom, and we will not accept any form of regulatory divergence which separates Northern Ireland. As time ticked on, 20 minutes later, the Prime Minister broke off her meetings in brussels to phone mrs foster. I understand the dup made it plain they could not support the proposed deal. The precise opposite to the irish leader who has pushed and pushed, and talked of his shock. Im surprised and disappointed that the British Government now appears not to be in a position to conclude what was agreed earlier today. I accept that the Prime Minister has asked for more time, and i know that she faces many challenges. And i acknowledge that she is negotiating in good faith. Despite all the hope, all the anticipation, the negotiating teams leave brussels today without a deal. Those close to her claim its not just the reliance on the dup that sunk the deal today. She was meant to be home by now, but theresa mays still talking, stuck, no further steps forward. As weve been hearing, the issue of the irish border proved the major Sticking Point today. Our ireland correspondent Chris Buckler has been looking at why the border has proved so contentious. All along this border, there are derelict buildings like this, former customs post, no one would like a return of these and what is being called a hard border, but unionists are asking questions about what can be the price for that, faye fary could mean closer ties to the republic of ireland and potentially new divisions within the uk they fear it could mean. Specifically between Northern Ireland and britain, a politically sensitive issue, and also awkward for theresa may given her reliance on the dup in the commons. The journey to a brexit deal is proving far from easy. The uk and the eu still have to find a way through the many problems posed by these border roads. The Irish Government are insisting that there should be no change along the 310 miles that connect Northern Ireland and the republic, that this should remain an invisible border. South of the dividing line in dundalk, which will stay a part of the European Union, people started the day believing there was a prospect of a december deal and for owners of shops like this, keeping trading rules and regulations the same across this island would be quite a gift. Theres no restrictions at all. If you take stuff down, you can take it with you in the morning, you dont have to go through the customs. I remember what it was like, you lost a day going the customs in newry and dundalk. After a while, its like everything else, when its gone a while, you forget how bad it was, you know. But the dup hold quite a few cards in what is proving to be a grown up game of poker. They worry that the trade off for ensuring customs posts dont return to this islands roads could be new divisions and trading differences within the uk. Potentially new checks at ports for ships travelling between Northern Ireland and britain, what has been called a border in the irish sea. And north of the border in newry, many felt the conservatives had no choice but to listen to the democratic unionists, because they hold the balance of power at westminster. May needs the dup at the moment. Could that scupper this deal . I think it might because if they pull the plug, it will be a general election. Still part of the uk, so thats the way it will work. But these are towns which rely on euros as well as pounds, and they worry that any border could put off visitors and their cash. You see, if they put a hard border, it would more or less destroy towns like newry and enniskillen, the border towns. Currently, it seems difficult to see a way out of the negotiations that will satisfy everyone, but the government needs to come up with solutions for this border and fast. Chris buckler, bbc news, newry. There might be more problems for mrs may too as a number of other regional leaders took to twitter to suggest they might like a special border deal with the eu after brexit. London mayor sadiq khan says he thinks therell be huge ramifications for london. First minister of wales, carwynjones, tweeted saying and Scottish First minister, nicola sturgeon, said our Political Correspondent chris mason is as westminster. The complexity of it all set out there, and given all of that, is it surprising that theresa may a p pa re ntly surprising that theresa may apparently gave the Irish Government the impression that a deal aligning north and south of the irish border was on the cards . On the face of it, it was surprising, because it would be something the dup would be deeply deeply uncomfortable with, because it would look like Northern Ireland was heading towards a situation where its regulations were more in line with the republic than with the rest of the uk, and if you are a unionist you might see that a slippery as a slippery slope in the direction of a united ireland. As it panned out, you got that leak around lunchtime, who had been briefed on this draft agreement, the delegation of meps, they came out and spilled the beans about what was in it. The Prime Minister was heading into her meeting with Jean Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, and people started running back in westminster and in the devolved administrations around the uk, people reacting to this proposed deal, and interpreting what was a leak, and also extrapolating quite a bit. And if, for instance, the suggestion from the British Government around some sort of alignment to specific sectors, in the event of no deal, for example, the event of no deal, for example, the parallel that scotland and wales and london might be able to draw would be more limited, but that is not happy day panned out, saw Arlene Foster, the leader of the dup, and theresa may returning to london, that there was no announcement. Labour have been told to prepare for the high minister telling to parliament, saying, it we are, we have got it, we are moving on to try the Prime Minister. But still hasnt happened. Messy to say the least, what about the reaction from conservative mps . The reaction in brussels was agog and aghast, and similar here, people staring at tv screens, similar here, people staring at tv screens, working out what is going on. Conservative mps were summoned toa on. Conservative mps were summoned to a meeting here at westminster to be briefed by a brexit minister and also a senior downing street adviser. Broadly speaking there wasnt a sense of revolt from most of those leaving because those surveyed brexiteer instinct said it was right the Prime Minister was negotiating hard those of a brexiteer instinct. Those of a remain instinct said we were not there yet and they would be keen to say there was no deadline coming until ten days time, but this highlights the point you were making a few minutes ago, whichever way the Prime Minister terms in these brexit negotiations, there are people she will irritate, that is absolutely guaranteed. All she can try to do is accommodate as many people as she can for as much of the time she can, thatis can for as much of the time she can, that is as ambitious as she can be, given the complexity of what shes trying to achieve. Chris, many thanks. Joining me from dublin is kevin doyle, Political Editor at the irish independent. We were hearing, it seems the Irish Government were pretty convinced that they had got a deal which would align regulations north and south of the irish border. They were certain of it, in fact, leo varadkar arpad spoken had spoken with the likes of donald tusk and Jean Claude Juncker, and they thought the deal had been put on the table by theresa may and it was acceptable to the government in dublin and they thought this was going to be wrapped up thought this was going to be wrapped up by thought this was going to be wrapped up by lunchtime. Leo varadkar had called a press conference for 230 where he was going to announce the irish version of this deal but then it was shortly before that, Arlene Foster intervened and everything fell apart. It is safe to say the Irish Government are pretty annoyed by the way this has played out. But the reaction from the dup was highly predictable. Absolutely. There is bewilderment in dublin because the first question when the leaks appeared mid morning, the first question being asked byjournalists, how are the dup on board with this . How has theresa may sold this to the dup . She doesnt seem to have made any attempt to sell this to the dup and effectively the message from the Irish Government tonight is that it is up to theresa may to go back and to make this work, to sit down Arlene Foster and work out what is going to happen, because the Irish Government now knows what theresa may is willing to put on the table. She has shown them the christmas present, she cant take half of it back, as one person said. The way this has unravelled, will this make it even harderfor this has unravelled, will this make it even harder for theresa this has unravelled, will this make it even harderfor theresa may this has unravelled, will this make it even harder for theresa may to find some sort of solution to this critical issue of the irish border . The answer is the Irish Government now believe that theresa may has found a solution, at least in principle, so they dont see anything needs to change now but she has got to go back and convince Arlene Foster and the dup to come on board. The argument that she will find it more difficult, theresa may, i think all eyes move now. Today there was attention on dublin and there was attention on dublin and the meeting in brussels, but now the story moves to belfast very much and i wouldnt be surprised if you were to cbd yippie marching into number ten in the next 2a hours to see what can be done if you were to see the dup marching. There are clear differences, brexiteers have told the government that this can be solved by Smart Technology and arrangements for frequent traders across the border, but it seems that the irish border doesnt think that would work. Irish government. There is the trade question, the idea that every day 30,000 people go back and forth across the border, sometimesjust a few back and forth across the border, sometimes just a few miles, to go to work, and the only thing that changes is calamitous into miles for the speed and those people should not have their lives disrupted is kilometres into miles. And the other aspect, that is the first time theresa may said there would be no physical infrastructure on the border, in the florence speech, and for a technology solution, you are talking about cameras and some sort of monitoring devices on the board and the Irish Government is concerned the moment you do that, those cameras become targets the dissident republicans and you could see an upsurge in civil disobedience or violence and that is the more serious by, that is what they would be telling people in europe, the message to them was, the conflict in Northern Ireland was the bloodiest conflict in eu history and the eu played a big role in solving that and therefore they should stick with the irish version of the good friday agreement to make sure we dont take a step back. Kevin doyle, thanks for joining us. My colleague Christian Fraser is in brussels. He has been following the twists and turns throughout the day. Bring us up to date with the latest reaction from where you are. Openmouthed on the part of the European Commission, they have been briefing quite heavily that something would be agreed, a form of words which would ta ke agreed, a form of words which would take them on to the European Council meeting in ten days time, but they did not bank on the intervention of Arlene Foster. It is a surprise that they had not been kept in the loop through the weekend. So much effort speaking to the irish Prime Minister to make sure they were happy with what was being put forward, that maybe they have taken their eye off the ball with regards the situation in Northern Ireland. We can get a view on this. Do you think that they forgot to give the dup in the loop . I dont know, we are following the negotiations over the weekend, we have been very much aware of the issues from the irish perspective since the uk voted in the referendum, about the need to protect the good friday agreement, and soi protect the good friday agreement, and so i think they were aware of theissues and so i think they were aware of the issues we needed to maintain, that they would be no diverging so we would have convergence. These we re well we would have convergence. These were well aired we would have convergence. These were wellaired in we would have convergence. These were well aired in the media, we would have convergence. These were wellaired in the media, so im surprised it has got to this point. Im disappointed. But there is still time before the 14th of december, that a deal will be ironed out. There was expected from the irish perspective, in consultation with the commission, that we had reached agreement, so. Does this change anything . There is a form of words which the Irish Government has the backing of with the uni macro leaders, and so the dup might get animated about it with the eu leaders. The wording from leo varadkar was very clear, he does not wa nt varadkar was very clear, he does not want any ha rdboa rd varadkar was very clear, he does not want any hardboard and he was like that in writing, no hard border between the south of ireland and the north of ireland. That is clear, the good friday agreement recognises there will be no divergences and there will be no divergences and there will be co operation on many issues, and the people of the island voted for the good friday agreement. The constitutional position of Northern Ireland is not affected but there are structures in place following the good friday agreement and those structures need to be protected and it is a different situation to any border with france and scotland or any other, it is a unique situation and it was always clear. People seem to be just waking up clear. People seem to be just waking up to this point. Arlene foster is ina up to this point. Arlene foster is in a difficult place, she doesnt wa nt in a difficult place, she does